Are China's South China Sea Bases Pointless?

nationalinterest.org—Robert Farley
Security, Asia
In a war they might not fair so well. But that isn't the only reason Beijing built them.
China has built some islands in the South China Sea. Can it protect them?
During World War II Japan found that control of islands offered some strategic advantages, but not enough to force the United States to reduce each island individually. Moreover, over time the islands became a strategic liability, as Japan struggled to keep them supplied with food, fuel and equipment....

China, the South China Sea and North Korea. Quinn Marschik
Security, Asia
The United States needs to diplomatically engage China over the South China Sea to reduce tensions, build trust, and achieve a quick and lasting solution to the North Korea problem.
The USS Carl Vinson’s port call to Danang, Vietnam, the first port call of its kind since the Vietnam War, is aimed at China’s posture in the South China Sea and will no doubt elicit criticism from Beijing. This comes at a time when the United States increasingly needs China’s help to...

China needs to build defensive structures on islands in the South China Sea to display its claim to sovereignty over virtually the entire crucial waterway, a leading Chinese general said … Click to Continue